Steel Magnolias

During my hunt for pieces for the Masonic Villas project, i’ve come across some great new places to shop, new sellers and some corking unique pieces. I’ve really done my homework for this project. There was one specific piece of furniture however, that almost stumped me. Almost!

Before

This space wasn’t quite working for me. The standing wine rack was a little intrusive here, the mirror was hung too high and the hallway was calling out for a console table to sit over that radiator. So I began the search. Our hallway console needed to be:

tall enough to sit over the radiator which is 78cm high

wider than 100cm, preferably over 120cm.

no cross bars or anything that would interfere with the radiator

no deeper than 35cm

have a paired back slightly industrial feel

It turns out, console tables are all about 75-78cm high. So not quite tall enough to sit over the radiator. Most are more than 35cm deep and almost all of them have shelves or cross bars. We were getting to the point of having one made, until…I came across this little number on Steel Magnolias. A steel framed console with a pewter finish and solid wooden top. What about the bottom shelf? Yeah I know, I just didn’t fit that bit. Simples!

And here it is in situ:

At 80cm tall it just sat neatly over the radiator. Phew!

The minimal steel frame neatly surrounds the radiator and the slimline table top will be super handy for plonking on keys and mail. Before, this space wasn’t quite sure what it was doing, but by adding this simple console it’s been defined and given a purpose.

The 120cm wide table lengthens the hallway nicely. And by hanging the mirror slightly lower it now connects with the furniture below. You can also actually use it to look in. Fancy that!

The solid wood top (which is paler than expected) will be stained darker, for a more aged look. In fact, I think it’s been done right now… yes, I smell it (thanks lads!)

Just one piece of furniture has changed the function and feel of this hallway. A lovely addition to an already beautiful space. And at £80 you can’t really grumble with that.

Steel Magnolias’ furniture comes in a range of finishes; Antique White for a softer “shabby chic” look, Pewter for a cleaner urban-vintage vibe, Aged Rust for an earthy, industrial tone and Burnt Copper for a warm metallic feel. These different finishes makes it super easy to add a touch of industrial to your home decor.

0 Comments

I was a fan before I saw the photos – they had me at their great name. I’m just about to buy a house which needs a lot of doing-up and jimmying (technical terms!), and one of those round mirrors would be perfect.